OK, the poll didn’t literally say that. Instead what it said was that half of Americans still believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which is more or less saying the same thing I said in the headline. A sample of the news item:
The reality in this case is that after a 16-month, $900-million-plus investigation, the U.S. weapons hunters known as the Iraq Survey Group declared that Iraq had dismantled its chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs in 1991 under U.N. oversight. That finding in 2004 reaffirmed the work of U.N. inspectors who in 2002-03 found no trace of banned arsenals in Iraq.
Despite this, a Harris Poll released July 21 found that a full 50 percent of U.S. respondents — up from 36 percent last year — said they believe Iraq did have the forbidden arms when U.S. troops invaded in March 2003, an attack whose stated purpose was elimination of supposed WMD. Other polls also have found an enduring American faith in the WMD story.
“I’m flabbergasted,” said Michael Massing, a media critic whose writings dissected the largely unquestioning U.S. news reporting on the Bush administration’s shaky WMD claims in 2002-03.
“This finding just has to cause despair among those of us who hope for an informed public able to draw reasonable conclusions based on evidence,” Massing said.
I think it became clear a long time ago that there are far too many Americans who are incapable of drawing reasonable conclusions based on evidence. Just look in the SEB archives for ample proof of that.
I don’t know what the big deal is? Sorry, but I am a cynic and have been saying for years that most people are idiots, WHY DOESN’T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME!!
Up from last year? Up?
Independent from reality, indeed. I wonder how the WMDists and aWMDists are distributed between party lines…
What’s there to justify about the war against Iraq? The U.S. needed to degrade its armed forces against a third-rate player conveniently located between two second-rate countries more worthy of liberation – Iran and Saudi Arabia. I suppose it’s the sporting thing to do – even though Iran might need some deIslamisting, it wouldn’t be fair to do it with a fully capable military, would it?
LISTEN TO ME!!!!!! Esinhower (spelling?)warned us in the fifties to beware the “military industrial complex”- remember– and every so often the U.SA. has to go to war to test this new shit.
Is that so hard to understand?
Yea and fuck the C.I.A. let them investigate me all they want.
My name is
Allan W Jassen and I don’t give a fuck!
I just saw this same thing on a religious fundie site:
http://www.rr-bb.com/showthread.php?t=269746
It will be interesting what they say about it.
never mind the c i a
the new mantra is
fuck the fundies
fuck the fundies
aaaoohhhhmmmm!
So there, put that in your pipe and smoke it. Then pass it around! (Don’t Bogart that Joint!)
This is a long holiday weekend in Canada and I obviously have way too much time on my hands!
plus the vodka does’nt help
Allan, buddy, did you get your vitamins mixed up with crystal meth or something? You’re starting to worry me a little. I love ya to death, but you’ve been flipping out a bit more than usual lately.
Relax and remember that while things sometimes change for the worse, there’s always better times ahead. You just have to keep your shit together long enough to reach them.
And of these people, how many do you suppose are Christians? I am not surprised that blind acceptance of authoritarian propaganda generalizes.
Let’s remember (no matter how emotionally-difficult for some):
[1] Iraq’s own military (the military leadership beyond his sexually-psychotic son and the other technocratic torture-theorist son) truly believed Iraq had both chem and bio warheads. They ordered it’s deployment *AND* use—and we’re astounded when nothing could be located, much less deployed.
[2] So did all of their neighboring states’ intelligence agencies (Iran included) believe Iraq held WMD.
[3] So did the intelligence agencies of the UK, Israel, Australia, Germany, oh and France & Russia, too.
You might disregard US intelligence in the region, even Russian intelligence… But, Iran’s own on-the-ground-agents in Iraq believed the military held *substantial* WMD warheads.
The hysterics of the Quasi-Left-Consumerist-Americans when it comes to WMD & Iraq are probably *the most* disuading element in this story of US public attitude; No wonder most Americans believe Iraq held WMD—no one wants to align themselves with a froth-at-mouth person pounding their Birkenstocks on their SUV’s hood screeching “Sans WMD! Help Mother Earth now you goddamn oil-whores!” while their waiting for the pupae to emerge from soccer practice. Ugly Americans can’t get any uglier, even when they eat their own.
I can’t think of anything worse, other than Iraq’s own leaderships so skillfully misrepresenting their military prowess—all the way to their own self-destruction.
Long Live the Lion of Iraq: Dead Uday.
Too bad he died in the bathroom tub of his luxury safe-house, sans WMD. Sometimes our lies kill.
rob@egoz.org
OK Rob, I’ll admit it looked like Iraq had WMD’s. We believed the intelligence of other countries and to some extent, our own (but the case was certainly overstated by a president who WANTED to go to war and ignored contrary information).
But… going to preemptive war on the basis of any intelligence is a “You’d better be right” type of situation. The stakes are too high for mistakes.
As in; “OK, we’ll go with your plan. But if you’re wrong, it’s your head, and your entire party’s credibility.” No blaming anyone else, no shifting the rationale for war after the fact. If other people have to lose their lives on your bet, you at least put all your political capital on the table and no whining about it later.
Your characterization of anti-war liberals is very amusing, by the way. You can always find idiots on any side of an issue.
Yep, a lot of folks did believe there were WMDs over there. It’s a shame we didn’t listen to the people we sent there to actually find them who kept telling us they didn’t exist. That’s the difference between “belief” and “knowledge” and there’s nothing hysterical in pointing out when people are being stupid fucks.
[
I’ve never heard this anywhere—do you have areference for it? I’d like to read up on it.
[
Most of the rest of the world never believed he had WMD and there was no real evidence for it. The folks who were there inspecting argued against it. Take a look at the ‘coalition of the willing’ to see who either bought into it or was coerced into supporting the position.
Les, thanks for the concern but don’t ever count me out! Had a nap and feel fine.
As for the meth – haven’t done any meth, MDA, qualudes, junk, perc’s, weed, etc. for about thirty years.
Get concerned when my rants start to deteriate into meenillnless garble thatlt you cnadnfndnfdt read dndf dsf doesnt mamekreandy sense!
Youre pal al (so there)
It’s sad that so many Americans don’t realize that denial is more than just a river in Egypt.
On a different note, I find it interesting that the threads relating to war/Iraq/WMDs not only attract Rob Adams, but lead him to formulate some of his loonier posts. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Mildbill?
denial-guess i have not been around as much as I thought – that’s funny!
When Bush was asked about Defence, he said de man with de nails is comin’ to fix it.
Which is as odd as that fundie site.
Bush ” We haven’t found WMDs”
Blair “Sorry got it wrong”
Fundie “WE FOUND ‘EM, WE FOUND ‘EM”
OK, So Saddam had a kennel, a sign saying beware of the dog, and a big chain, despite his denials of keeping a dog. Hans Blix repeatedlt said though ‘Cant find the shit’
Does that poll mention Weapons of Mass Disturbance? I feel so left out sometimes.
No kidding.
We’ve got a few in Oz too.
It’s interesting ‘seeing’ someone else getting pissed.
yo mamma
O.K. on a serious note here, as I said in my blog http://god-101.blogspot.com/ we have a vested interest in the situation (oil) and we either shit or get off the pot.
An alliance of North America, Europe, and Russia (updated NATO) should go in there and straighten things out or put a wall around the whole region and come back in ten years and see who is still standing!
Simplistic – yea
Effective – Yea
Your scribe
Allan
Expensive – Yea
Silly – yea – how would we get the oil?
From Canada of course!!! Heard about the Oil Sands in Northern Alberta.
On a side note here I had a picture on my desktop that was the Andromeda Galaxy in all its spendor.
I mean this picture was fucking amazing!!!
But, after looking at it for a week or so it got to be too much!
My brain couldn’t handle how insignifigant we are against that backdrop and I had to change it back to a nice peacefull woodland scene!
Wierd eh!
What made me laugh is the idea that Australia has an “Intellegence Agency” that has info every other country doesnt know back to front 5 years ago! – lol!..we’re so frickin’ self important down here its laughable …sort of 🙁
Shelley asked for more details in response to my assertion that Iraq’s generals believed Saddam did have WMD. On March 12 the NYTimes reported the following:
This fact came out, in a large way, as part of the post-war analysis of events (a formal document, and something we do after a conflict to understand how we might become more effecient) sponsored by the Dept of Defense’s Intelligence branch.
You can find more by googling this *entire* phrase, quote’s included:
“Saddam’s generals believed they had WMD to repel US”
BTW, my posts are looney merely to fit in with rest of you. Eat Oil! Now! Avoid garden-based pathogens, viruses, bacteria, and even parasites! Eat processed crude-oil! Eat more now! The Hause of Saud demands it!
rob@egoz.org
I’ve said it before- BIO DIESEL. Added to all the enviromental benefits invasions stop looking like conquests, and big oil has less of a hold.
Yeah, but we’re harmless and cute.